Link system and method therefor

Abstract

A link system providing a desired spatial relationship in a desired orientation of the link system as well as methods of assembling link systems to obtain the desired spatial relationship. The link system includes at least one rivet deformed during the riveting process to take up the misalignment of apertures in link due to manufacturing tolerance stack up.

1 . A method of assembling a link system from a plurality of links comprising:
 fixturing the plurality of links for assembly into the link system with a first and a second link fixed in selected relative positions in a selected orientation of the link system and with each link having at least one first aperture generally aligned with and overlying at least one second aperture of another link, wherein the axial offset of at least one of the sets of generally aligned first and second apertures is selected to at least partially offset the stack up of tolerances between the first and second link members in the selected relative positions;   placing a fastener through at least one of the sets of generally aligned first and second apertures, the fastener having a first shank portion disposed in the a first aperture of the generally aligned apertures and a second shank portion disposed in the second aperture of the generally aligned apertures; and   compressing the fastener to form a head on the backside of the fastener and to deform at least one of the first and second shank portions to fill the generally aligned apertures, wherein the fastener forms a pivotal joint between two links of the plurality of links that facilitates maintaining the first and second links in the selected relative positions when the assembled link system is in the selected orientation by deforming to take up at least a portion of the tolerance stack up between the first link and the second link in the selected orientation.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 placing a fastener through each of the sets of generally aligned first and second apertures, each fastener having a first shank portion disposed in the respective first aperture of each generally aligned apertures and a second shank portion disposed in the respective second aperture of each generally aligned apertures; and   compressing the fasteners to form heads on the backside of each fastener and to deform at least one of the respective first and second shank portions to fill the respective generally aligned apertures, wherein each fastener forms a pivotal joint between two links of the plurality of links that facilitates maintaining the first and second links in the selected relative positions when the assembled link system is in the selected orientation by deforming to take up at least a portion of the tolerance stack up between the first link and the second link in the selected orientation.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein each of the heads formed on the backside of each fastener is formed on the same side of the link system. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each first shank portion has a larger diameter than the second shank portion of each set of generally aligned apertures. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein two intermediate links are each riveted to each of the main links to form a four bar linkage. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second links having mounting locations for mounting the links to structures in a finished product after assembly of the link system and further wherein the step of fixturing comprises positioning the first and second link members in a fixture with the mounting locations in a selected relative positions corresponding to a selected orientation of the first and second link members in a selected orientation of the link system when assembled into the finished product. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the apertures in the first and second links are provided with bearing surfaces wherein the link system produced by the method pivots about the centers of the apertures in the first and second links 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first aperture is provided with a bushing. 
   
   
       9 . A method of assembling a hinge assembly having a plurality of links each of the links being pivotally connected to at least one other link at a pivot joint, each pivot joint having pairs of generally overlying apertures for accepting fasteners for pivotally interconnecting pairs of links to each other, the method comprising the steps of:
 fixturing the links of the hinge assembly to position two selected links fixed in desired relative positions with respect to each other and to position the plurality of links with each of the pairs of generally aligned apertures for each of the pivot joints held in a generally aligned positions, each pair of generally aligned apertures being axially offset by an chosen amount to compensate at least partially for the tolerance stack up in the manufacture of the links and;   passing a fastener through each pair of generally overlying fasteners; and   deforming each fastener to conform to the passageway defined by the pair of generally overlying fasteners and to take up at least a part of the tolerance stack ups between the two selected links in the desired relative positions.   
   
   
       10 . A link system comprising:
 a plurality of link members each one of the link members being pivotally interconnected to at least one of the other link members at a pivot joint;   a first chosen link member and a second chosen link member having a desired relative positional relationship in a specific orientation;   at least one of the pivot joints between one of the link members and another of the link members further comprising:
 a first aperture in the one of the link members; 
 a second aperture in the another of the link members overlying the first aperture and axially offset relative to the first aperture; 
 a fastener extending through the first and second apertures, the fastener having a first end abutting the one link, a first shank portion passing through the first aperture and having a first longitudinal axis and, a second shank portion passing through the second aperture and a having a second longitudinal axis offset relative to the first longitudinal axis, and a second end abutting the another link; 
   wherein the first longitudinal axis is axially offset from the second longitudinal axis a distance required to position the one link at the desired position relative to the another link in the specific orientation.   
   
   
       11 . The link system of  claim 10 , wherein the one of the one link member and the another link member is provided with a bushing, an one of the first and second apertures is an aperture through the bushing, wherein the bushing provides a bearing surface between the fastener and the one of the first and second links, the bearing surface facilitating relative pivotal motion between the one of the first and second links and the bushing. 
   
   
       12 . The link system of  claim 11 , wherein the one link member is provided with the bushing and the first aperture is through the bushing. 
   
   
       13 . The link system of  claim 11 , wherein the bushing further comprises an annular flange providing a flat bearing surface between the facilitating relative pivotal movement between the one of the link members and the another of the link members. 
   
   
       14 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein the first aperture is larger than the second aperture. 
   
   
       15 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein the first shank portion is larger than the second shank portion. 
   
   
       16 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein the second shank portion has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second aperture by an amount selected to take up at least a portion of the tolerance stack up. 
   
   
       17 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein the desired positional relationship is defined by the relative positions of two selected mounting locations on the first link and two selected mounting locations on the third link when the link system is in the desired relative orientation of the links. 
   
   
       18 . The link system of  claim 17  wherein the selected mounting locations are the same mounting locations that are provided on the link system for installation of the link system in a finished product assembly. 
   
   
       19 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein one of the first and second apertures is provided with a bushing having an aperture larger than the other of the first and second apertures. 
   
   
       20 . The link system of  claim 10  wherein each of the pivot joints between one of the link members and another of the link members comprises:
 a first aperture in the one link member;   a second aperture in the another link member overlying the first aperture and axially offset relative to the first aperture; and   a plurality of fasteners, each of the plurality of fasteners extending through a respective first aperture and second aperture, each fastener having a first end abutting a link, a first shank portion passing through a first apertures, a second shank portion passing through a respective second aperture, and a second end abutting a link; wherein the first and second shank portions of each fastener are axially offset in amounts to cumulatively position the first link at the desired position relative to the third link in the specific orientation.   
   
   
       21 . A lid hinge assembly for movably supporting a lid relative to an enclosure and having a desired positional relationship between lid and the enclosure when the lid is closed, the lid hinge assembly comprising:
 a lid link capable of being mounted to the lid and having two apertures;   an enclosure link capable of being mounted to the enclosure and having two apertures;   a pair of intermediate links each having an aperture overlying and axially offset relative to one of the apertures in the lid link and each having another aperture overlying and axially offset relative to one of the apertures in the enclosure link; wherein the apertures are axially offset predetermined distances providing the desired positional relationship between the lid link and the enclosure link when the lid link is mounted to the lid, the enclosure link is mounted to the enclosure, and lid is in the closed position; and   four rivets each extending through a respective pair of offset apertures, each rivet having a first shank portion passing through a first aperture, a second shank portion offset relative to the first shank portion and passing through a second aperture.   
   
   
       22 . The lid hinge assembly of  claim 21  wherein:
 the enclosure has at least one enclosure surface;   the lid has at least one lid surface adjacent the at least one enclosure surface; and   the desired positional relationship is defined to provide an alignment between the at least one enclosure surface and the at least one lid surface.   
   
   
       23 . The hinge lid assembly of  claim 21  wherein the enclosure is a vehicle trunk and the lid is a trunk lid. 
   
   
       24 . The hinge lid assembly of  claim 21  wherein the desired positional relationship is defined by the positions of two selected mounting locations on the enclosure link and two selected mounting locations on the lid link when the link system is in the orientation which it is designed to be in when the lid link is mounted to the lid, the enclosure link is mounted to the enclosure, and lid is in the closed position. 
   
   
       25 . The hinge lid assembly of  claim 20  wherein the apertures in the lid link and the enclosure link are provided with bearing surfaces wherein the link assembly pivots about the centers of the apertures in the lid link and the enclosure link.